Shahd Abusalama, academic, activist and artist, has won her legal battle against Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). Dr Abusalama was born in Gaza, and after she became a SHU lecturer, pro-Israeli investigations and complaints against her employment were used to try to defame and silence her. SHU even shared confidential details about her with politicians and the Jewish Chronicle (which recently ran fake stories supporting Israel’s attacks on Palestinians, prompting resignations by influential writers).

Now a settlement agreement with an undisclosed sum and her legal costs has been agreed. She was cleared of all wrongdoing in an independent report, but it has been revealed that SHU went on preparing briefings against her, to politicians and the media despite a mutual non-disparagement agreement.

Shahd Abusalama is also among a group of over 1000 celebrated authors (including Sally Rooney, Arundhati Roy and Naomi Klein) which has launched a cultural boycott against working with “Israeli cultural institutions that are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians”.

Update 4th Nov 2024: A Novara Media article by Simon Childs gives more details including Sheffield Hallam’s plans for a new London satellite site at Brent Cross, in “the heart of north London’s Jewish community.”